Make your own festival headband

my home made festival headband. image from instagram

With perhaps the most well known and greatest music festival in the world coming to an end tonight, Glastonbury showcased some of it's best fashion, and in particular, headgear to date. Attending a festival of my own at the end of the summer, it got me thinking as to what my headgear of choice would be this year. I've always been a fan of floral garlands/headbands/crowns and after my ever loved purchase way back in 2010 from Leeds festival sadly started to fall to pieces, and with none below the price of £30 grabbing my attention in the slightest, I decided to take matters into my own hands and make one of my own. 

This year I thought bigger would definitely be better. Despite only attending a two day festival, my hair has to last the best part of four days without getting greasy; this is perhaps the greatest challenge of all during my festival weekend. So, with a plan of action to find the biggest flowers I could to conceal my less-than-perfect hair after day one, I headed to my local hobbycraft. 

Making my own headband, admittedly with the help from my younger sister - who in my eyes is a complete arts and crafts genius, but perhaps that's just because i'm so embarrassingly bad I struggle to draw a stick man - wasn't as much of a struggle as I thought. I picked up two bunches of perfect for summer coral coloured roses, each of which contained five roses, and one 10 pack of smaller white roses. 

Knowing how to start to headband was possibly the most difficult part, however in the end we chose to take one large rose (each of these come with attached sticks which ultimately joined together to make the headband base) and attach three smaller roses onto its stem next to it. To attach the second coral rose we basically entwined its stem to the stem of the existing rose and started to build onto it, adding a selection of smaller white roses as we went. 

The beauty of making your own festival crown not only lies in knowing that you will be the only one at your chosen festival with it, but also in the fact that you can design it however you like. I chose to break up each large coral rose with either two or three white roses and continue in that pattern. As you can see from the image above, a small space where the crown is attached is left blank, this comes down to the fact that I have a huge moon head and we didn't buy enough flowers to fill the full band. However, extra roses can be added with ease by simply wrapping their accompanying wire stems around the base and superglueing them into place where necessary. 

To bring the crown together I simply twisted the wire stems of the last rose together with the stem of the first rose used and superglued it appropriately. This ensured that it was completely secure and wouldn't follow the same path as my Leeds festival headband and start to break apart. 

Personalise your crown to suit your personality by adding glitter, ribbon and extra flowers in either a different style or colour. The sky is the limit when it comes to designing your floral headband and when it comes to festivals, the crazier the better!

(The time taken to make my headband was around 30 minutes and cost under £8 in total)

Perfect playsuits

playsuits from river island and topshop

My summer clothing item of choice for the past two years has definitely been a playsuit, and it seems this year is no different. The playsuit has been a staple in my wardrobe for years now and I own probably double the amount of a normal person. If in doubt, I buy a playsuit.

The reason I love playsuits so much comes down solely to their versatility; a playsuit can be worn in so many different ways and on so many different occasions and I tend to opt for a playsuit while i'm on holiday. Dressed up with a big watch, a statement necklace and a pair of jeweled sandals (and a tan), the playsuit is the perfect holiday outfit - not too dressy, however smart enough to look as though you haven't just rolled in from a day at the beach. Plus, they make a great alternative to a standard short and t-shirt combination and are equally as comfy.
And it's not just on a holiday night out that playsuits are my favored look. A light t-shirt material playsuit can be thrown on over a bikini for a walk along the beach during the day. This gives you a slight edge, however remains casual enough to prevent you from looking like you're trying too hard. Comfort and style? A winning combination!

Still, after your holiday has ended there's no need to pack up your playsuits and put them away for another year. Worn with a pair of heels and clutch, the playsuit becomes a perfect outfit for a night out back in blighty all year round. A pub lunch, a beer garden, an evening meal. You name it, depending on the style and print, there's a playsuit for it.

My pick of the playsuits this year have got to be from River Island. Varying from cotton bandeau styles perfect for lazy days around the pool, to those covered with embellishment that will look perfect on a night out, River Island offers a playsuit for every occasion, and priced at around the £25 mark, you can achieve the look without breaking the bank.

Maybelline Color Show nail polish - 'Winter Baby'

It's a truth universally acknowledged that a girl cannot just pop into Boots or Superdrug, have a quick look around and then leave without purchasing anything. I visited my local boots on a bit of a whim today with the idea that i'd go, check out the price of a hair product i'd been toying over buying and then leave. This, of course, didn't happen.

Make-up brand Maybelline have recently launched a new line of nail polishes called 'Color Show'. Having been on a ban since January to have acrylics applied to my nails, mainly because of the price, more so because after over a year of having them they completely wrecked my nails, my obsession with nail polish has grown. Six months down the line and my nails have gone from strength to strength, along with my nail polish collection.

I'd never tried the colour show range before and so the novelty of trying something new automatically attracted me to the Maybelline stand, along with the array of perfect for summer colours that they have to offer. I, perhaps slightly boringly, opted for a standard white colour in shade 'Winter Baby'. I am a sucker for a product with a good name, and with names such as 'Wine & Dined', 'Sweet Clementine' and 'Shocking Seas', the color show range offers exactly that.
Winter Baby applies like an absolute dream and differing from white nail polishes that I have previously owned, did not leave brush strokes within the colour on my nail - definitely one of my pet hates when it comes to nail polish! The colour is slightly sheer on initial application, however layers up with ease and becomes opaque within three coats. 'Winter Baby' was dry within five minutes and left a high-shine finish on the nail, making it a perfect combination and exactly what I look for in a nail polish.

I've been wearing 'Winter Baby' for three days now, and while the formula for different shades may differ, this particular shade shows no signs of chipping and has even survived a shower and hair wash combination - something that never fails to get my nail polish chipping (which perhaps says more about my nails than it does the polishes)! I am definitely very impressed.

At only £2.99 a pop I have to admit that my expectations for this product weren't all that high. However the color show nail polishes have definitely pleasantly surprised me and with a colour collection that I am desperate to try, and with Boots currently having a 'buy one get the second half price' offer, I can see myself popping into town to pick up a couple more of these amazing nail polishes very, very soon!

Swimsuit vs Bikini

Summer is well and truly on the horizon which can mean only one thing, I will soon be packing my bags and jetting off on my jolly's. Perhaps the main wardrobe dilemma I have when packing my suitcase is the question of what swimwear i'm going to be wearing this year?! I am by no means confident enough with my body to go parading about in a tiny bikini, however in the past I've never felt comfortable in an unflattering costume either, which only ever seem to be available in prints that are suitable for those that are above the age of 50.
That is until this year where the swimsuit is definitely ruling the roost; and with celebs such as Rihanna donning a one piece, the swimsuit is finally becoming cool again and an item that is becoming a must have in every girl's wardrobe. Due to the ever growing popularity of the swimsuit, swimming costumes are now filling high street stores in a variety of different styles such as backless, side-less and even versions of the infamous Borat 'mankini' - an option I can't see becoming very popular, but each to their own! This means that if the idea of covering up completely isn't something that thrills you, you're still able to show some skin whilst still covering up parts of you that are least preferred. A perfect solution!
The added beauty of a swimsuit is also the fact that they are suitable for all ladies, regardless of their figure; whether you're a size 8 or 18, the swimsuit is available in a style that can suit and flatter all.

Still, the age old dilemma that you don't get as tanned in a swimsuit is still present and won't be forgotten by many in a hurry. It's universally known that bikini's are a firm favourite amongst young adults, especially those who have been working hard at the gym all year round for no other reason than to look good in a bikini. What's the point of spending a lot of time and money perfecting your bikini body, only to cover it up for the duration of your holiday? The variety of the styles of bikinis also trump the swimsuit by a mile; string bottoms, briefs, shorts, triangle tops, bandeaus, are to name but a few, just some of the styles that the ever loved bikini is available in. It seems that while swimsuits flatter all, the bikini also offers a variety of styles to suit you whether you're a hourglass, a pear or an apple.

In the end it looks like the type of swimwear that a person is going wear will come down to nothing other than personal preference. Regardless of what's considered the swimsuit of the moment, there's always going to be people that disagree and believe that there's nothing better than a tiny bikini on the beach, whereas others will prefer nothing more than to cover up in a flattering swimsuit. With both types offering a range of styles and prints for everyone, it seems that whichever style people opt for, they're going to look great and find something to suit them perfectly.

How to dress for festival season

Image from google

Dressing for festival season is possibly my favourite and least favourite thing of the year all rolled into one. The fashion that accompanies festivals is everything I love the most about clothes - a lot of fringing, embellishment, crazy makeup, hair accessories and layering! The downside is that I can never quite pull of the perfect festival look quite the way I would like to, which is why, three months in advance, I have started to plan my festival wardrobe. Slightly excessive? Possibly! Although in my eyes, completely necessary.

As anyone living in the UK will understand the Great British summer is, well, never really that 'great'; England sees a hell of a lot more days of rain and grey skies than it does sun. Therefore, the most important thing to remember when packing for a festival is to dress for all types of whether. The sun may be shining on day one, but it can be almost guaranteed that by day three the heavens will have opened and if you've packed nothing but shorts and vest tops you're going to find yourself very wet and very miserable. Meaning essential item number one is a coat! My festival coat of choice this year has got to be a parka; perfect for cooler days, however still light enough to wear for the full weekend regardless of if the sun decides to pop out for a couple of hours or you spend the full weekend trying to shelter yourself from the rain - a more likely option. Meaning, essential item number two has to be a pair of wellies! Regardless of if the festival fields are full of mud or not, a pair of wellies add to your look and give you the perfect festival attire. The high street is full of wellies with a variety of different patterns with an accompanying price that won't break the bank. However, if you're willing to pay that extra bit more, a pair of Hunters are a perfect investment piece (if like me you attempt to visit at least one festival a year) and will make you look like a festival pro! Not to mention they'll also see you through the winter months once festival season has come to an end and the streets are lined with 6 inches of snow.

Practicality is essential at a festival, so when packing your bag be sure to leave out anything that may cause problems when it comes to using the port-a-loos! Yes, playsuits, i'm looking at you. While playsuits may at first seem like a good festival outfit, when it comes to needing the toilet they become a problem even at the best and most convenient of times, not to mention when you're trying to maneuver yourself in and out of one in a festival toilet while avoiding the sides and performing a balancing act with all your essentials that just have to be taken down to the arena, you know, just in case! Stick to shorts ladies, much more practical and you still end up looking great!

Being a girl it is only expected that we're going to need to pack our bag with a smaller bag, albeit one still big enough to fill with a number of things that are essential for down at the arena (these things usually include the not-so-essential makeup, three different types of perfume, and a number of extra accessories and hair products). Therefore, a big, slouchy, fringed bag becomes festival essential number four. Stick to those which can be easily thrown around your body and that secure well, no one wants the burden of carrying a bag in the crook of their arm for a weekend when everyone else is out there having fun.

Top off and perfect your festival look with a crochet waistcoat, a bunch of fashion jewelry (nothing too expensive, you can never prepare yourself for things getting lost at a festival), a floral headband (perfect for the final day when even dry shampoo can't save your hair!), a pair of sunnies, and a lot of neon paint and you're good to go. I think i'm finally ready for festival season and I can't wait!

John Frieda Luxurious Volume shampoo & conditioner

My name's Beth and i'm obsessed with my hair. There, I said it, and it comes as no secret to anyone that knows me how much of a constant battle I have with my hair and how thick it is. Or isn't. It's commonly known amongst friends and family that the time and effort I spend on my hair, especially on a night out where I will admittedly spend the best part of an afternoon washing, prepping and fixing my hair into an array of heated, sleep-in and velcro rollers in an attempt to get the biggest hair possible, is ridiculous. Still, on a regular day-to-day basis i've found myself almost giving up on my hair. Lacking any form of volume what so ever the fight to thicken my hair has only intensified over the years, and has turned into a battle that I grudgingly have to admit I am painfully losing.

Enter John Frieda. I've always been a fan of John Frieda and the way that his products leave my hair feeling soft, nourished, healthy and manageable. Therefore it was only expected that I would pick up a couple of his latest products, especially as they were aimed predominantly towards those suffering with, and hating their thin hair. These products were perfect for me.  

Differing from previous shampoos and conditioners that promise to thicken hair and leave it with a perfect volumised look, the John Frieda Luxurious Volume products thickened my hair without leaving it looking frizzy and bushy! The shampoo and conditioner left my hair feeling soft, looking sleek AND the most volumised it has in years. My hair looked thick and felt more full without feeling heavy on my head or as though my hair had been drenched in a variety of products. These products had defied the odds and had actually left me with hair that I didn't hate! John Freida - miracle worker.

I am now desperate to try the other products in this range, and maybe one day I will be able to get ready for a night out without the need to spend the day in rollers or the night clipping an array of extensions into my hair. Well, here's to hoping anyway!